


staged love that feels too real

by albreteinstong



Category: LGBT - Fandom, Narrative Poetry - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: #Highschool, #LGBT, #ihopethisendsupokay, #iveneverwrittennarrativepoetrybeforeimsorry, #romeoandjuliet, #sophomoreyear, #theatrekids, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-14 11:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16491806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/albreteinstong/pseuds/albreteinstong
Summary: raven, a sophomore in high school, suddenly becomes a lot more interested in theatre than she was initially. why? because a pretty girl is auditioning for the rule of juliet, and raven wants-no-NEEDS-to be romeo.





	1. i met a girl today

 

 

she’s in my theatre class.

 

she has shoulder-length brown hair

and bangs.

 

she has a skin condition

which i think is vitiligo;

there are discolored splotches on her face.

 

some kids were snickering at her

i told them

to mind their own business.

 

she smiled at me

and said thank you

in a soft voice

and i couldn’t think straight

for the rest of class.

 

her name is june.

 


	2. she’s very bubbly

 

 

and extroverted

and lively.

 

everything i’m not.

 

that’s okay though

because opposites attract.

 

she talked to me today

i think

we’re friends now.

 

she’s a really good actress.

when she’s on stage

her golden brown eyes

light up

and i can’t keep my eyes off her.


	3. she’s in my bio class too

i didn’t even realize

until mr. frans

changed the seating chart.

 

she’s in front of me now.

she smells like pine trees

and chai.

 

we talk

pretty often now.

 

it’s peculiar

it almost seems like

i have a crush on her.

 

but i’ve never crushed on a girl.

 

i think she just

stands out to me

like a single sunflower

in a field of tulips.

 

but it’s still peculiar

that she brings out the social side of me

who talks passionately

about books

and baking

when i’m antisocial

around most others.


	4. we were working

 

on the lights.

 

she paused

and gazed at me.

 

“raven is a nice name,”

she told me.

”i like it.”

 

“why?”

 

i asked that on impulse.

ravens are associated with death.

they’re grim

and ominous

and a bad omen.

 

so why does june like my name?

 

she beamed at me.

”why not?”

 

i couldn’t resist her kind eyes.

arguing

seemed futile now.

 

i merely shrugged.

 

if i talked

i probably would have tripped over my own words, anyway.


	5. i told her

 

i liked her name, too.

 

she grinned

and her pupils dilated

and she tucked a strand of hair

behind her ear.

 

june

is my favorite month now.

 


	6. i guess i should tell you

 

a bit about myself.

 

my name

is raven tujillo.

 

i’m a sophomore in high school.

 

when i look in the mirror

i see warm, brown skin

black, fine hair

harsh, grey eyes

and glasses that are too large for my face.

 

i think i’m decent-looking.

 

people often describe me

as antisocial.

 

i just find it difficult to bond with people

who don’t share my interests.

 

and i’m fine on my own;

i prefer

_independent._

 

i have lots of interests, though.

i like cooking

gaming

drawing

and reading.

 

i have to keep myself busy

since it’s quite

lonely at home.

 

my parents were always working

 

and my brother is eleven years older than me

so we didn’t talk much.

he lives across the country now.


	7. my best friend

 

moved back to nepal last summer.

it’s where his family is.

 

i miss him, though.

 

his name is sarad.

 

he’s the only one

who ever understood me.

 

so i started school this year

not really knowing

where to go.

 

sarad and i were inseparable

so what was i supposed to do now?

 

i tried talking to venus

who was a close friend of his

and was always nice to me.

 

but she ignored me.

i don’t know why.

 

when june invited me to sit with her at lunch

i was thrilled.

 

i didn’t mind sitting alone at lunch

but it became rather dull.

 

so, of course, i sat with june.

 


	8. i’ve never met anyone

  

like june’s friends.

i like them.

 

there was a girl

named serene.

 

upon meeting me

she smiled gently

and told me

”june’s said a lot of good things about you.”

 

_good things?_

_a lot of them?_

 

if i were lightskinned

it would be very obvious

that i was blushing in that moment.

 

”uh, are you okay?” serene asked.

i realized

i hadn’t said anything.

 

”oh-yeah. sorry. just spacing out. it’s nice to meet you.”

 

there was also a boy

named luca.

 

he said he was from mexico

and apologized for his broken english.

 

”oh, no worries. you’re doing great. english is hard.” i reassured.

 

he grinned.

 

 

what makes june’s friends so different

was how they treated me.

 

people usually avoid me

they think i’m some sociopath

or something.

 

but luca and serene

were inviting

and sweet.

june seemed extra happy today, too.

it was a good day.

 


	9. our theatre instructor

 

 

revealed

what our first play would be.

 

romeo and juliet.

 

june turned to me

and started chatting excitedly.

 

”hey raven! are you gonna audition? you usually do the lights, right?”

 

i hesitated. “uh, i’m not sure. i might go for a lead role. are you?”

 

”oh, definitely! i want to be juliet.”

 

suddenly, something in me changed.

_june, as juliet._

_romeo, as..._

why did i want to be romeo?

i knew it was possible.

i knew ms. perry didn’t shy away

from casting genderbent roles.

i just had to have a great audition.

 

_why did i want to be romeo?_


	10. i’m not crushing on june

 

 

_i’m not crushing on june_

_i’m not crushing on june_

_i’m not crushing on june._

 

the rest of the day i kept telling myself this.

i couldn’t focus in class.

ironically,

the more i tried to convince myself i don’t have a crush on her

the less i believed it.

 

_great._

so now i have to question my sexuality.

 

but i’m not queer!

june’s just...

_special._

anyone would have a crush on june.

it’s not abnormal.

 

even if i was queer

it’s not like i’d have a problem with it.

i just don’t know

if i’m ready for something like this.

 

it’s my fear

of the unknown.


End file.
